


Hunger

by iisintrovert (Ghostlyfallows)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Cannibalism, Coming Out, M/M, ghoul au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-01-24 04:37:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18564052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostlyfallows/pseuds/iisintrovert
Summary: Nico di Angelo learns of an affliction his father has been hiding from him. He must learn to live as a half Ghoul.





	1. Chapter One

It started with the first painful, aching pang of hunger deep in his gut.

Nico had never felt a hunger as intensely as this before. It was noon, time to eat with the rest of the camp after scooping sacrifices into the sacred fires. He ate an enormous meal at the covered pavilion for lunch, but the taste of the meat made him feel sick. It couldn’t squash the deeper desire for something else, something _more_. He was starving for it.

When one of the other campers at the overfilled Hermes table began to notice his twitching, he shoved his bronze plate of food away and stormed away from the table. He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. The emptiness in his stomach made it hard to focus on anything other than the desperate sensation of hunger.

He tried to ignore the eyes on him as he walked away from the pavillion - the loud chatter stuttered as people looked at him, distracted from their conversations. Nico fumed and broke into a sprint. He ran towards the Hermes cabin. He wasn’t sure what he planned to do, only that he needed to calm down before he lashed out. He was paranoid others would notice his hunger. His stomach growled loudly, despite having just eaten a plate full of brisket.

When he arrived, he threw the door open and checked for any camp members. Luckily, the cabin was totally empty. Nico found his sleeping bag, the one he’d been issued by one of the Stoll twins two years ago. He didn’t have much to his name besides the clothes he arrived in, an orange Camp Half Blood T-shirt, his Aviator jacket, and a few cards and figurines from his favorite game, Mythomagic. He had his short sword of Stygian Iron as well, but he prefered to keep it strapped to his side.

Nico looked down at his nervous hands and noticed the veins in his pale arms were bright blue and bulging. He pulled his Aviator jacket on, ignoring the feverish heat on his skin. He tugged the too-long sleeves over his hands.

He tried to even out his breathing, but the world felt like it was spinning around him. His confusion was quickly transforming into anger.

 _Maybe if I distract myself, this will go away,_ he thought, shaking his head. He kneeled on his sleeping bag and started to spread out his Mythomagic cards. 

He hadn’t played Mythomagic in a long time. The year before, he buried most of his cards and figurines at the bank of the river Styx. He thought they were too childish. He didn’t want to be caught up in a game for children, now that he knew about the greater war going on in his world. However, they held a soft place in his heart. He brushed his fingers over the cards. They were the size of simple playing cards with painterly style images of creatures and characters displayed on the front. The names of different creatures were written in gold script. When Nico’s forefinger passed over the final card, a sharp shock runs up his arm. He gasped, and pulled his hand back.

Nico peared at the card in disbelief. He’d never seen it before. He couldn’t remember adding it to his collection. Tentatively, he reached to pick up the card. This time, it didn’t shock him physically, but the image brought out something feral from deep in his repressed memory.

The card was silver and holographic. The image was of a tall, skeletal man. When he turned the card at an angel, the man’s eyes glowed red. The title at the top read _The Ghoul._

Nico gasped and dropped the card. He placed a hand on his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut. _No, it couldn’t be right._

Nico stumbled away from his sleeping bag, towards the restroom at the back of the cabin. He slammed the door shut behind himself and slid the deadbolt into place. He turned back slowly towards the row of bathroom sinks and mirrors. He saw his own silhouette - dark and shaking - and peered up through his shaggy black hair.

What he saw surprised him so badly his hands flew up to the mirror. He placed his palms flat on the glass and brought his face only a few inches away from the surface. The iris of his left eye glowed bright red.

Nico’s jaw dropped. He turned the sink on and splashed water on his face, but when he looked up again the glowing red was still there. He clenched his fists and shoved them into the pockets of his jacket.

Then, something peculiar happened. In the mist of the water stream, a small rainbow started to glow. Nico squinted to see, and an oval of the mist transformed into a translucent image. 

It was a man, tall and pale with neatly trimmed black hair. He was freshly shaven and wore a neat, obsidian black suit.

Again, something deep in Nico’s memory perked its nasty head. 

“Who are you?” Nico growled. His voice sounded raspy and broken.

The man smiled sadly. “Nico. My poor boy. You must listen closely.”

“What?” he hissed.

“The charm has worn off. I was able to protect you in Italy, then while you were in the casino, then again at your school. Now, you’re out of my grasp. At camp half blood, the magic is too strong. I can’t keep hiding your true nature from yourself.”

“What do you _mean?_ ” Nico begged.

The man was Hades, Nico was sure of it. He remembered hugging the legs of his father when he was young, running around the Italian home of his childhood. He knew now the truth of who he was. Hades reached out, as if to touch his cheek, then dropped his hand and his face returned to its stony expression. 

“You mother was a Ghoul. You won’t be able to contain your hunger for very long. As only a half Ghoul, you will be much stronger, much quicker than anyone you know. You cannot conceal this for very long.”

Nico didn’t need any more explanation. The terrible hunger at the base of his spine was enough to remind him. He growled and swiped the back of his hand through the mist, dissolving the image of his father. He turned the sink off and ran towards one of the bathroom stalls. He fell to his knees and expelled all of the food from his stomach. He retched until he was dry heaving. He took a shaky step back towards the sink and wiped the bile from his lips.

At the sound of a footstep, Nico turned, immediately alert. He could smell it - the same Hermes child from earlier who stared at him. He could sense his flesh in the room outside of the restroom. Nico licked his lips.

In the back of his mind, he knew this was wrong. He tried desperately to repress these feelings, to keep from wanting to eat, to _consume_ , but it was impossible. The hunger was too great for him to resist.

He unlocked the door and stepped back into the main room of the cabin.

The other boy stood in front of the door, with a concerned expression on his face.

“Nico?” he asked, clearly tentative.

Nico shakily nodded. He swallowed hard and screwed his eyes shut. _Don’t, you can’t,_ he told himself.

Another, darker part of his brain urged him forward. _It would be so easy…_

Eventually, the darker side won. He took a jerky step closer to the boy, then another, then another. The expression on the boy’s face grew from concern to fear.

“Er… Nico?” he asked. His voice sounded small. _Weak._

At the last moment, Nico Lurched forward. He slapped a hand over the boys mouth and dug his teeth into his neck. 

He ripped at the flesh, and a warm serenity washed over his entire body. He was desperate to feed. He tore the boy apart, slamming him to the ground as he wept so he could tear his flesh away from his bones. Blood spilled out onto the hardwood floor of the cabin.

Nico moaned in pleasure as he ate more, and more, until his stomach was absolutely stuffed and he couldn’t move without feeling lethargic. He was so full, so content. He fell back on his knees and looked up at the ceiling, a smile playing across his lips.

He relished in the full feeling in his stomach and the peace in his mind for a few more moments, before the smell of freshly rotting flesh overtook his senses. Nico gulped and looked down at the horrible scene before him.

Anxiety and paranoia began to wash over him. Nico felt an overwhelming sadness. He wasn’t able to resist the desire for flesh. The Ghoul inside of him overtook his ability to make decisions and forced him to eat this innocent camper. Nico was terrified of someone finding him in this position. He looked at the clock on the wall and bit his lip - lunch was almost over. People would be coming back to grab their things, shower, use the restroom, or even look for him. Nico couldn’t stand the thought of someone knowing what he did. 

He grabbed his sleeping bag and started to stuff the remains of the boy into the bag. He used the exterior to mop up the blood on the floor. He threw the bloody bag over his shoulder and leaped out the cabin’s side window.

Nico sprinted behind the cabins to the woods. He ran through the trees until he was panting and out of breath. The fresh meal gave him a burst of energy, and he kept sprinting until he was absolutely positive no one would find him. He fell to the ground and began to dig with his bare hands. Now that Hades’s charm had been reverse, Nico noticed his heightened strength and abilities. Before long, he had dug a sizable hole in the ground. He shoved the sleeping bag into the grave and scooped the dirt over the evidence until all that was left was a clear circle of freshly packed earth.

He stood up and wiped his dirty palms off on his dark wash denim jeans. His hands were still buzzing with extra energy. 

In the silence of the woods, he heard the sound of his own breathing. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and stared down at his palms. His veins had reduced in size, thankfully, but his skin still looked more pale to his eyes. The contrast between his skin and black dancing skeletons T-shirt was stark, even in the low light of the deep forest.

Nico shook his head and began to run back to camp. Thoughts rushed through his mind, but he couldn’t decide what his next move was. He didn’t know what to do.

One thought stuck out to him - he wanted someone with more knowledge than him to tell him what to do. He decided to go to Chiron.

When he arrived back at camp, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept his head low. He walked by the archery station, towards the blue house. Either he could find Chiron, or an older camper he could trust to give him supplies. He felt the other camper’s eyes on him. Every stare burned on his skin. His anxiety was growing the longer he was at camp.

When he arrived before the baby blue house on the hill, he grit his teeth and paused. He couldn’t move his legs. He didn’t want to walk any closer. 

Nico stared down at the ground and made up his mind. No one could find out about his affliction.


	2. Chapter Two

Hoarse screaming erupted around him. Nico pulled out his blade and tore into the stumbling body as it reached out for him. He could feel its pain and sense its death, and other parts of him yearned for its taste.

He tore apart the corpse and heard the last scream as its soul evaporated, back to Hades. The dead flesh left a rancid taste in the back of his throat, but it was all he could do to avoid feasting on another innocent mortal. He ate only from the bodies of those deep in the underworld, experiencing the worst punishments. He wasn’t sure where their souls went after he feasted - as a child of Hades, he felt their souls, but it was hard to keep track of them when he was consuming their flesh.

Nico still had nightmares about the event in the cabin, back at camp half blood. The event that lead to his disappearance from camp. He mourned a normal life, one with his sister, and friends, and Mythomagic. 

He shook his head. It was no use, thinking of the past like that. That life was impossible for him now. He lived between worlds, underground and above, half ghoul, half god. There weren’t many places where he fit in. Especially since the Labyrinth was destroyed, there was no midground he could occupy. 

Nico took a seat at the bank of the river Styx. This is where he wandered, when he was looking for something new to do. He could go to his father’s garden and find golden Drachmas to barter with wood nymphs, or steal something from a mortal grocery story. He still partially resented his father for keeping his lineage a secret. Nico was powerful in the underworld, but he was also cold, and scared. His senses were overwhelmed with the feeling of death.

He stabbed his sword into the obsidian sand and stood up. The flesh of the dead would sustain him for a while. It wasn’t as good as fresh meat, and didn’t give him the same power, but it was a sacrifice Nico was willing to make in order to avoid the terrible nature of his half-Ghoul body.

Suddenly, Nico felt a tugging in his stomach. He sensed despair at camp. 

Nico sighed. As much as he hated it, the godly side of his was still tied to Camp Half Blood. He knew something important was going on, something involving his plan to save the Olympians from the wrath of Kronos. 

Nico balled his hands up together at his waist and concentrated hard. He opened his eyes and they flashed dark black. He ran headfirst into a shadow and focused on camp half blood. Shadow travel was nasty, cold, and gruesome, but he managed to arrive in the shadow of an oak tree on Camp Half Blood hill. He breathed deeply to calm himself. It was bright and sunny out doors, and he could see a gathering closer to camp. The feeling in his stomach increased in magnitude and he began to jog towards the commotion.

There was Juniper, Grover’s wood nymph girlfriend, and the Council of Elders. They were arguing loudly. Nico stood a ways away to avoid drawing attention to himself. He folded his arms and tried to garner what the council members were saying to Chiron and Juniper.

As he stood there, his eyes were drawn to a different running form. Nico felt his heart skip a beat in his chest.

Percy ran up the hill, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked… taller, since Nico had last seen him. He was broad in the shoulders, still a bit wiry from adolescence, but he was filling into his musculature. His face was as handsome as ever, kind and open, even as his green eyes grew steely from the stress of the impending war.

Nico wanted to resent him, but he couldn’t bear it. He started to sweat as Percy came closer to him.

“Nico!” Percy called out, with a grin playing across his lips. “Long time no see. Why are you back at camp?”

Nico stared at the ground and swallowed. “We need to talk,” he blurted out solemnly. 

Percy nodded with a grim expression. “There are some updates on the situation with Luke.”

Percy explained to him the issue of Luke’s physical form - how he’d been taken over entirely by Kronos, and was invincible to any wounds. He was powerful, more powerful than any one halfblood. Percy needed a way to defeat him. He asked Nico about a weapon, a trick, but the explanation sparked something in him already.

Nico hummed at Percy’s explanation and uncrossed his arms, stuffing his hands in his pocket. He looked up at Percy. It was still difficult, even now, to talk to him without anxiety flowing through his veins. 

“He’s taken a dip in the river Styx. You can have that power, too.”

Percy raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“What isn’t dangerous?” Nico stressed. 

The more he thought about it, the greater the idea seemed. If Percy did this, there was no way anyone would be able to harm him. Even Nico would be unable to cause him physical harm. If Nico ever wasn’t able to contain himself, his teeth would break against Percy’s skin. And after that… Nico still had other plans besides the ones he felt comfortable telling Percy. His father had questions for Percy, and he’d promised him a necessary bounty - more secrets about his own past.

Percy seemed reluctant, but Nico kept pressing. He needed to know more about his own Ghoulish nature, and Percy was the key. He’d forced his father to promise not to harm Percy himself, so he wasn’t necessarily worried, but he knew Percy would never go with him if he exposed the truth to him.

“You _must._ It’s the only way to be completely safe. I can take you, you have to trust me,” Nico insisted. Something deep inside him needed Percy to be safe.

After a few more moments, Percy gave in. Nico whistled for Ms O’leary, and the Hellhound came bounding through the shadows towards them. Nico helped Percy hop on top of her back. He held tight to her collar and focused on their destination.

They arrived, through the shadows, in Central Park, New York.

They hopped off of Ms. O’leary and she disappeared somewhere else. Nico was grateful for the hellhound. She always made him feel loved - dogs had that effect, even enormous demon dogs.

While Nico could sink into the ground or shadow travel into the underworld with ease, he didn’t want to put that stress on Percy.

“We need music,” Nico murmured. He hadn’t thought clearly about that part.

Nico gave Percy a pointed look, who shrugged his shoulders. “What, can’t you sing or something?”

Nico shook his head vigorously. He stood there, at a crossroads, until suddenly Percy perked up his head.

“What? What is it?” Nico asked, but Percy was already running off.

Percy ran through the grove of Central Park until he paused at the base of one old walnut tree. “Grover?” he called, falling to his knees to push leaves and moss aside.

A small voice groaned from beneath the earth. Percy shouted out names of food and laughed with glee as he pulled his satyr friend out of the earth. Grover shot up from sleep, his eyes wide open. 

“Percy!” he bleated. 

Nico couldn’t help but feel joy as Percy and Grover were reunited. Grover explained he was spreading the news of Pan’s death when a strange man in a dark suit came up to him and whispered something. He’d been asleep in the trees ever since.

“That was Morpheus, god of sleep and dreams,” Nico said. He chewed at his lip. “That means this war is coming sooner than we expected. We don’t have much time. Percy, we need to go.”

Percy sighed. “How are we supposed to enter without any music?”

Grover perked up. “Music? I know a few tunes. Some classic rock, on the pipes?” he pulled out his reed pipes. “But why?”

Percy explained their plan with the river Styx. Grover’s face turned grim. He gave Percy a tight hug and a somber look. 

“Please stay safe, brother? That’s dangerous stuff.”

Percy promised. Grover brought his instrument to his lips and belted out a song. After a few moments of noise, the gravel in front of the entrance to the Underworld began to sink into the ground. What was left was a deep pit in the ground that lead to complete darkness.

Nico and Percy made their ways inside, and the rocks and earth closed up behind them. Internally, Nico rejoiced. His plan was working so far.

He sensed turmoil and broken dreams in the air, and knew they were getting closer to the river. Nico took off down the black sanded bank and found a broken down dock. He looked back and noticed the pallor on Percy’s face. He knew Percy was strong, stronger than anyone he knew, and certainly more mentally strong than Nico himself, but even Percy was afraid. 

Nico sucked in a deep breath. Seeing his idol afraid caused anxiety to bubble in his stomach. He rolled his shoulders and tried to shake it off.

The two boys stood at the edge of the dock, staring into the dark, murky waters. The river Styx was known for representing loss. Images of broken promises, unfinished business, and unmet goals hovered in the depths of the water. Percy stared into the depths, his face expressionless. Nico noticed his hands were balled into fists, and his shoulders were tense. 

“It’s very dangerous. If you don’t focus, you could drift away entirely. Bathing in the river Styx will take away most of your humanity, your vulnerability, but it could leave you a shell of a person.” Nico picked at the skin on his fingers to avoid looking at Percy. “You should focus on one part of your body, the part you want to leave vulnerable. Use it as an anchor, like a tie to the mortal world.”

Percy placed his hands on his hips and stared blankly into the water, thinking for a moment. Eventually, he sighed, and let his shoulders drop. “I’m ready.”

Without any warning, he leaped into the water in a perfect swimmer’s dive. _Son of Poseidon after all,_ Nico thought. Percy was always so intense. He didn’t let things hold him back.

Percy was entirely submerged in the river, his face barely visible under the murky depths. Nico closed his eyes and focused on Percy’s soul. He held on tight in his mind, not allowing Percy to slip off into death. But Percy himself was strong. He wasn’t relenting to the powers of the river.

Nico gripped the old wood of the dock and squeezed, his fingers digging into the grains. Percy was underwater for a few minutes. When Nico finally felt his composure begin to slip, his eyes shot open. Percy was writhing in the river, his mouth agape. Nico called out to him, both in his mind and outloud. He stuck his hand out and screamed. His grip on Percy’s soul was withering.

At the last moment, Percy’s hand darted out of the water and caught on firmly to Nico’s wrist. Nico used every ounce of his strength to pull Percy out of the water. Percy’s limp body landed on top of him. Nico went deathly still at the feeling of Percy’s weight on top of him.

Through the new scent of the river, Nico could smell Percy’s skin. He was breathing heavily, the warmth of his breath landing on Nico’s exposed neck. Water dripped from Percy’s wet clothes onto Nico’s skin.

Nico closed his eyes and willed the Ghoulish part deep inside of him to let _go._

He shoved Percy off of him and placed a hand on his chest. The single plane of content still sent a shiver up Nico’s spine, but it was something he could bare. 

Percy’s chest felt rock hard. There was nothing human about it, anymore. Just the wiry, tense muscles of a godly man and the steely protection of the river Styx. Even if Nico hadn’t just fed, hadn’t had the strength, his teeth wouldn’t have been able to break the charm. Percy was safe. From him, and from Luke.

Percy’s eyes opened, and he looked up at Nico.

“It worked,” Nico murmured under his breath.

He didn’t have to worry about him any more. _Maybe now, I’ll be able to forget about him,_ he thought. With this new protection, he wouldn’t feel the painful sense of worry he always did when Percy was in danger. This new protection was like a safety net. 

Nico took Percy’s hand and helped him stand. 

\--

Nico couldn’t help but think about the interaction at the bank of the river Styx during the battle of Manhattan. 

He was distracted, even as he awoke an undead army and invoked his father’s deathly powers to defeat the demons running through the streets. 

He was guilty of tricking Percy, of following Percy too closely with his eyes when he wasn’t looking, of lying to him.

And for what? When he turned Percy in to his father, all his father revealed to him was things he had already figured out for himself. Hades was the god that ruled over Ghoul demons, but he couldn’t offer Nico any strategies to resist his deadly hunger. Nico already understood his Ghoul nature. He’d been practicing for months. He’d only feasted on the undead. Ever since his first live feed at the camp, he had been searching the underground for ways to rid himself of the horrible curse.

And he had turned up blank. He had no clue what to do, and neither did Hades. That, or he was unwilling to help his son. Clearly, Hades was good at lying, for he tried to starve Percy after he promised Nico he wouldn’t harm him. 

While lost in his thoughts, a droplet of Drakon saliva struck Nico’s exposed forearm. Nico hissed in pain as the acid dissolved on his skin. Thanks to his special abilities from his half breeding, it didn’t bore through his skin, but being a half Ghoul didn’t make Nico immune to pain.

He shook off his existential thinking and gripped his sword with both hands. Nico couldn’t think about his first love while fighting.

 

**One Year Later**

 

The grip of Percy’s hand in his own was warm and firm, but Nico’s arm had turned to lead. He couldn’t pull up, he couldn’t budge Percy. He felt him slipping deep into the darkness. 

At the same time, he felt himself holding on to Percy’s feet, tugging him, yanking him deeper into hell. His eyes lit up red as he gripped Percy’s jeans, straining to get more of his body under his control. His teeth gnashed. He was hungry, so hungry, and exhausted from his time in the ceramic jar. He wanted to feed, to _feast._

Nico peered down at Percy’s eyes and watched his lips as they uttered the last words Nico heard from him.

He shook his head to get out of his transe. The crew of demigods around him were somber, wishing they could have done more to prevent Percy and Annabeth from falling into Tartarus. Nico knew that sadness all too well.

“Percy is the most powerful demigod I know. He will do everything in his power to keep Annabeth safe.” he said his piece more for his own comfort than anyone else’s.

He was still haunted by the sights he saw from within Tartarus, and haunted by the promise Percy asked of him when he let go of his hand. Even after two years, Nico still felt he was responsible for Percy’s safety.

Nico felt calmer as the other demigods nodded in agreement. They swore to meet Percy and Annabeth at the other side of the gates of Tartarus, to close them once and for all. Nico was in a haze as they discussed their plan. 

He stood completely still, devoid of emotion as Leo declared, “Festus, raise the Sails. We’ve got friends to save.”

Nico retreated to his cabin for much needed sleep.

\--

In the days following Percy and Annabeth’s fall, Nico was becoming accustomed to life on the Argo II.

There was one problem - it had been weeks since he had feasted on human flesh. Nico was growing hungrier and hungrier, and he wasn’t sure how to solve this issue. The food in the dinner room of the ship wasn’t cutting it, and he was losing appetite for people food. He noticed every time Jason stared at his almost empty plate. He was surviving on small amounts of water, and fresh pomegranates. Nico had found pomegranates to help with his hunger, because they were fruit so commonly associated to death. They helped him when he camped out in Hades’ garden, when he realized their power to dull his hunger.

However, even now, they weren’t doing the trick. Nico didn’t trust himself around the other half bloods on the Argo II. He worried at any moment, he would snap. In his small mission with Hazel and Frank, he felt that hunger deep in his bones. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to find a time to break off from the group and look for a meal, as he had been embarrassingly transformed into a plant while Frank got all of the action.

So, when Jason mentioned a mission to Croatia, to Diocletian’s palace, Nico volunteered immediately. His plan was to try to break off while Jason was distracted, just long enough to unearth a dead body and feast on its flesh. Plus, the idea of the scepter was appealing. The scepter would make it easier to summon willing bodies to control his appetite.

Deep inside himself, he knew this would only be a temporary fix. His hunger had grown past the desire for dead bodies. He knew, one day, if he didn’t find some way of satisfying himself, he would need to eat a real human.

Nico decided long ago he would push himself for as long as possible without eating another living person.

In the meantime, Jason and him had a ghost to find.

The ghost wasn’t too difficult to find. They spotted him at a popular tourist destination, standing by an ice cream stand. He would have looked like an average tourist, if it weren’t for the pair of russet auburn wings folded at his back.

Nico nodded to Jason. “I think it’s time we stop for ice cream,” he murmured.

They walked towards the man, who turned and made immediate eye contact with them. He smiled, waved over his shoulder with his ice cream bar, then dissolved into the air. A soothing, redish breeze passed by them and down the sidewalk, blowing hats off of tourists as it passed.

Jason pointed in its direction. “I’m betting that’s the palace,” he said. “Come on.”

They ran off down the pavement, but quickly realized there were too many tourists for them to make it to the palace efficiently.

“We’ve got to catch him,” Jason said. “Hold on.”

“But -” Nico protested, but it was too late. 

Jason wrapped his arms around Nico’s middle and lifted them both into the air.

Nico gagged in protest. Nico hated being touched by others. With his underworld powers, he could sense people’s life sources when he touched them. The ghoul half of him smelled their flesh and became excited. Especially now, being so hungry and late for a fee, the combination made the experience entirely too overwhelming.

Luckily for him, the flight wasn’t long. Jason dropped them down in the stone ruins. None of the tourists paid them any attention. 

On their right was a large, white marble building with rows of tall windows.

“The Peristyle,” Nico said. “This was the entrance to Diocletian’s private residence.” He scowled at Jason and rolled his shoulders in disent. “And please, I don’t like being touched. Don’t ever grab me again.”

He felt secure when Jason’s shoulder blades tense. At least Jason understood how serious he was about being touched out of the blue. If Jason were scared at him, that would mean he was less likely to do it, and then Jason would be safer from Nico biting a chunk out of his hand.

“Uh, Okay. Sorry. How do you know what this place is called?”

Nico’s face drooped, like he’d been kicked. “I’ve been here before. With my mother and Bianca. A Weekend trip from Venice. I was maybe… six?”

The memory was nice to have, but it brought him melancholy to think about.

“That was when… the 1930s?”

“Thirty-eight or so,” he said. “Why do you care? Do you see that winged guy anywhere?”

“No…” Jason paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought. “I just… I can’t imagine how it must be, coming from another time.”

Nico felt his face grow red. “No, you _can’t._ Look,,, I don’t like talking about it. Honestly, I think Hazel has it worse. She remembers more about when she was young. She had to come back from the dead and adjust to the modern world. Me… me and Bianca, we were stuck at the Lotus Hotel. Time passed so quickly. In a weird way, that made the transition easier.”

“Percy told me about that place,” Jason said. “Seventy years, but it only felt like a month?”

Nico balled his hands into fists. He saw red for a moment, then blinked hard to ignore the feeling. “Yeah,” he responded, resentment and nausea bubbling in his chest. “I’m sure Percy told you all about me.” He could taste the bitterness in his own voice.

As he tried to keep the heartache in his chest and his hunger from affecting his actions, Jason pointed towards the marble steps in front of them.

“That way.” he said. “The Winged guy, where do you think those stairs lead?”

Nico drew his sword, dark as knight and made from Stygian iron. “Underground,” he said. “My favorite place.”

\--

They walked down the stairs, into the darkness underneath the palace. They walked under crumbling wood and stone archways until they approached a marble bust of Diocletian himself. Jason seemed entranced by the smooth marble face.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. “Hello!”

Jason leaped forward and sliced off the marble emperor's head, before he realized the voice was coming from elsewhere.

“That wasn’t very nice,” a voice said from behind them. “What did Diocletian ever do to you?”

Jason lowered his sword. “It was an accident. You startled me.”

The man with the wings chuckled. “Jason Grace, the West Wind has been called many things… warm, gentle, life giving, and devilishly handsome. But I have never been called _startling_. I leave that crass behavior to my gusty brethren in the North. I just wanted to show you,” he spread his hands sadly, “that what you’re looking for isn’t here. My master has taken it.”

“Your master?” Jason asked.

Nico’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “He means Eros. Cupid, in latin.” His voice was edgy with bitterness.

Favonius smiled. “Very good, Nico di Angelo. I’m glad to see you again, by the way. It’s been a long time.”

Nico knit his eyebrows together. “I’ve never met you.”

The god held up a finger to pause him. “You’ve never seen me. But I;ve been watching you. When you came here as a small boy, I knew one day you would return to gaze upon my master’s face.”

Nico felt his skin grow cold as nervousness seized him. The god of love… he’d always harbored ill will towards him. Especially in the past few years, when he’d come to terms with himself and the way he wanted to love. How cruel it was, that he had fallen in love with who he had - Nico hated the idea of Eros looking forward to meeting him.

Jason turned, confused. “Nico, what’s he talking about?”

“I don’t know. Nothing.” Nico lied.

Flavonius cried, “Nothing? The one you care for the most, plunged into Tartarus, and still you will not allow the truth?”

Anxiety pierced through him once more. Nico was growing more and more stressed by the moment, as fear of being found out and hunger bubbled in his chest. He tried to ignore what Flavonius was saying, hoping Jason would do the same.

“We’ve only come for the scepter, where is it?” he asked, trying desperately to change the subject.

“Ah,” Flavonius nodded sadly. “You thought it would be as easy as facing Diocletian’s ghost? I’m afraid not, Nico. Your trials will be _much_ more difficult. You know, long before it was Diocletian’s palace, it was the gateway to my master’s court. I’ve dwelt here for eons, bringing those who sought love into the presence of Cupid.”

Nico felt himself growing sick. Maybe it was the grapes and pomegranates he’d eaten earlier, but he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to vomit. His face turned a sickly shade as Flavonius explained his past.

When Jason seemed confused the Flavonius mentioned his male lover, Nico had to look away. As his anxieties grew, he couldn’t listen to Jason’s confusion.

Flavonius faced Nico and held out his hand. “If you want the scepter, you must face the god of love.”

Nico wished desperately to escape the situation, but he knew it was a lost cause.

“Nico, you can do this,” Jason urged. “It might be embarrassing, but it’s for the scepter.”

He could suck it up. He could lie. He hated this, but he didn’t want to let Jason, or the team on the Argo II down. “You’re right. I - I’m not afraid of a love god,” he said, although he didn’t feel convinced.

Flavonius waved his finger, and the two demigods dissolved into dust.

When they reappeared in the courtyard, Nico collapsed against a column. He gripped the divots with his fingers, focusing on the ground below his feet to keep from throwing up. As he did, the blades of grass began to wilt and turn a sickly yellow. He was killing the plants just with his negative energies.

The ringing in his ears made it hard to concentrate, or hear anything else at all.

He saw Jason step towards him with concern in his eyes, but Nico waved him off. He didn’t want Jason to try to touch him again when he was in such a state.

 _CUPID_.

The name echoed through the ruins.

Flavonius nodded sympathetically. “Think long and hard about how you proceed, Nico di Angelo. You cannot lie to Cupid. If you let your anger rule you… well, your fate will be even sadder than mine.”

The ground shook beneath them, and the wind god dissapeared. The two demigods drew their swords. Nico’s came clattering to the ground, as he was too weak to hold the iron weapon in the air.

_You come to claim the scepter._

“Cupid,” Jason called. “Where are you?”

 _Where you least expect me, as love always is. I'm the god of love. I am_ never _fair_.

The air shimmered, and an arrow materialized in the air. It raced towards Nico’s chest. Jason intercepted it with his sword, and it shattered into a million pieces.

They ran up the steps, and Jason pulled Nico out of the way of a crashing column.

A second arrow materialized, zipping past Jason’s shoulder. He couldn’t stop it in time. Nico gasped as it sank into his right arm. The pain was agony, even as the arrow dissolved. The wound wasn’t physical. Another memory popped into the forefront of Nico’s mind, of Percy shielding him from danger as a manticore attacked them. He remembered watching Percy, and thinking, _this, this is a real hero_.

He glanced at Jason, and knew he could see those memories as well.

“Enough games!” Nico yelled. “Show yourself!”

Another column toppled, and they jumped out of the way, Jason nearly avoiding being crushed.

“Stop it!” Nico shrieked. “It’s me you want! Not him!’

_Poor Nico di Angelo. What have you risked in my name?_

“I’ve been to Tartarus and back,” Nico snarled. “You don’t scare me.”

_I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest._

All around Nico’s feet, he felt a shifting in the spirits. The earth shifted and coiled underneath him. “Give us the scepter. We don’t have time for games.”

_Games? Love is not a game. It demands everything from you - especially the truth._

“Nico,” Jason called, “What does this guy want from you?”

_Tell him, Nico di Angelo. Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you left camp half blood, and why you are always alone._

The pain was too much for him to handle. Nico let loose a guttural scream. He lifted his hands to raise an undead soldier, but an arrow knocked his hand away. As it dissolved, even more images of Percy and Annabeth swirled in his mind.

Waves of darkness rolled off of him. Jason shuddered as they made contact with him. He looked up at Nico in horror after feeling a fragment of Nico’s anguish.

Nico grit his teeth and tried to remain on his feet. “I left Camp Half Blood because of love. Annabeth, she -”

 _Still hiding,_ Cupid said, smashing one of Nico’s weak skeleton warriors to pieces.

The images of Percy and Annabeth together were excruciating to see. Nico was so used to ignoring this pain, but with Cupid, the god of love, forcing it on him in such a way, there was no way to relieve his suffering. 

Cupid kept egging him on, and the arrow burned with pain - not just physical pain, but the emotional torture of seeing Percy in those images.

Jaso reached out for him. “Nico, it’s okay, I understand.”

“No, no you don’t, there’s no way you can understand,” Nico uttered under his breath.

Nico’s voice was hoarse with pain. “I-I wasn’t in love with Annabeth,” he muttered.

“You were jealous of her, that’s why you didn’t want to be around her. And Percy -”

The darkness subsided. Nico simply didn’t have enough energy to keep his shields up.

“I hated myself. I hated _Percy,_ for what he did. He failed to protect Bianca.”

Nico fell to his knees, as anguish filled his head.

He decided to grit his teeth and bore it. He closed his eyes, refusing to look at Jason. “I had a crush on Percy Jackson. That’s it, that’s the big secret.”

He looked up at Cupid and glared. “Are you happy now?” he demanded.

His throat choked up, and his face felt feverishly hot. His blood pounded hard in his ears from his own anxieties. He refused to look at Jason. The silence was enough for him to understand.

Cupid nodded sadly, and the pain from his arrow subsided. “Oh, I wouldn’t say love always makes you happy. Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. Now, I feel a deeper hunger inside you. There’s one more thing you must reveal, to live your life honestly.”

Nico’s eyes widened in fear. He glanced at Jason, who still had a confused look on his face.

A cool breeze filled the air, and a glowing light began to emanate from a figure in front of them, at the feet of Cupid.

He knew logically it was only a re-animated body, a dead body the god had breathed life into, but Nico’s instincts desired to suck that life right out.

“Please, don’t make me,” Nico whimpered, but Cupid shoved him forward.

He was only a few feet away from the body, and his senses were going haywire. Nico’s improved ability to smell human flesh meant the scent overtook his thoughts. He didn’t even think about Jason, he lashed out and grabbed the body by its throat. His hands wrapped around its neck and he tumbled to the ground, Nico wrapping his body around the other body like a snake preparing to feed. Just as he was about to take a bite, the body vanished. 

Nico sat up, feeling insatiably hungry, and stared down at his empty palms. The body wasn’t real, it was never meant to be real.

A spire of fear suddenly pierced his heart. Nico lurched to his feet and stared at Jason. Jason looked back at him, sadness in his eyes.

“Nico…” he murmured, but was interrupted.

Cupid vanished, with the scepter of Diocletian in the spot where he once stood.

“Shut _up_ , Grace. You can’t tell anyone. Not a soul.”

“Nico, if you want to tell them, there’s no one who would support you more. You’d have that many more people who would kill anyone who said anything negative about you. We can _protect_ you.”

“Lies.” Nico shook his head. “No one’s ever wanted to protect me, no one but Bianca. It’s not enough that I’m a child of Hades, I’m from another time period, but that’s not enough. I had to be… to be…”

“A Ghoul, Nico. I’m sure Hazel, with her magic, or someone could figure out how to deal with that. And there’s nothing wrong with being ga-”

“Don’t say it,” he hissed.

Nico reached down and grabbed the scepter. He hooked it into his belt. Their mission was complete. Nico stared down at the ground, where the concrete and earth seemed to shift, sensing his pain, his anger, and his hunger.

“Look away,” he growled at Jason. 

He needed something anyways, and now that Jason knew, there was no going back.

Nico lifted his hands and held his palms out, facing the earth. The ground rumbled, then an undead figure dug its way out of the ground. It kneeled before him. Being the Ghost King had its perks, at least. 

He grabbed the body by its throat and dug into its flesh, consuming until he was unbearably full. 

He could sense the eyes on the back of his neck and knew Jason hadn’t listened to him. Nico wiped his mouth off on his aviator jacket and straightened his shoulders. “We need to get back to the ship.”

“Yea, I can fly us -”

“No.” Nico announced. “We’re going to shadow travel this time. I’ve had enough of the wind for a while.”


End file.
